With the Government’s commitment of increasing the electricity it generates from renewables by up to 80 per cent by 2030, a coordinated programme of investment in grid-scale renewable electricity generation and storage will be essential to ensure security of supply.I am acutely aware of the critical role of energy storage in supporting a green energy system through appropriate market investment signals. My Department is developing rules on how hybrid renewable storage projects may be facilitated to participate in the second Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auction, the terms and conditions of which are currently being finalised. The need for more energy storage is recognised in the Programme for Government, which includes a commitment to strengthen the policy framework to incentivise electricity storage, as well as interconnection. The 2021 Climate Action Plan which I will shortly bring to Government will set out further actions to address energy storage. The development of electricity storage in Ireland, including pumped hydro, will also continue to be facilitated through designation of EU Project of Common Interest (PCI) status, as provided for by the EU TEN-E Regulation.
